2009-2010 NBA Western Conference Predictions

In order of how I see each team finishing

Playoff teams

1. Los Angeles Lakers: If Andrew Bynum stays healthy and Ron Artest behaves, then the Lake Show should be better than they were last year. I don't see them reaching 70 wins, but regardless this is their conference to lose.

2. San Antonio Spurs: Biggest threat to the Lakers in the West. Tim Duncan is healthy and motivated, which is scary to think about. The addition of Richard Jefferson makes them a faster and better overall team. Add in Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, and you'll see a Spurs team that will win the Southwest Division with ease.

3. Denver Nuggets: They will take a step back from last year, but I still see them winning the division over Portland. They can be threats for a Western Conference Championship, but they have so many egos on the roster that I don't see it happening.

4. Dallas Mavericks: The addition of Shawn Marion will help this team with defense and rebounding. Josh Howard's health could be a reason for concern, but with Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Marion, and Jason Terry, this team should have no problem finishing in the top five.

5. Portland Trail Blazers: Portland is a team that is better in the regular season than they are in the playoffs. They'll compete with Denver for the division title, but in the end they are still a very young team with a very bright future. I'm not sure how Andre Miller will fit in, and I'm not sure if Greg Oden can play 20 games without getting hurt, but if everyone is healthy and everyone has good chemistry, this could be a team that finally makes some noise in the playoffs.

6. Utah Jazz- Deron Williams is one of the best point guards in the NBA, and he'll have a great roster to work with with guys like Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap, Mehmet Okur, and Andre Kirilenko.

7. New Orleans Hornets: I see the Hornets struggling a lot this year, but ultimately I think Chris Paul is too good of a leader and playmaker for his team to miss the playoffs.

8. Oklahoma City Thunder: Call me crazy, but I see the Thunder being the surprise team in the West. Kevin Durant will become a superstar this year and could quite possibly lead the league in scoring. Russell Westbrook will improve, and now he has solid complement in the backcourt with rookie James Harden, who is very NBA ready. The Thunder will storm everyone by surprise, and beat out the Suns and Clippers for the last playoff spot in the West.

The rest

9. Phoenix Suns

10. Houston Rockets

11. Los Angeles Clippers

12. Minnesota Timberwolves

13. Golden State Warriors

14. Memphis Grizzlies

15. Sacramento Kings

2009-2010 NBA Eastern Conference Predictions

It's been a long 135 days, but finally the NBA is back! Here is my prediction of how I see the Eastern Conference playing out.

Playoff teams (In order of how I think they'll finish)

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavs finished with the best record in the East last year, and this year will be a little more interesting for LeBron James since he becomes a free agent next summer. If Cleveland doesn't win it all, does he go elsewhere, or does he stay? The addition of Shaquille O'Neal will help, but it's guys off the bench like Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker that will probably have the biggest impact for a Cavs team that has lacked depth in the past. Cleveland will finish with the best record in the East, but I don't see them hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of the year.

2. Boston Celtics: In my mind the Celtics are the best team in the East if they are at full health. The problem is Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, and Ray Allen are all aging faster then you know it, and consequently are more prone to injuries. Rajon Rondo will emerge as one of the top point guards in the East this year, but like I said the main key to Boston's success is their health. If they are at full health by the end of the regular season, they will be in the NBA Finals.

3. Orlando Magic: I'm not sold on the signing of Vince Carter just yet. I still think the loss of Hedo Turkoglu will hurt the Magic more than what they will gain in Carter. Nonetheless the defending champs from the East are still loaded with Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis, but I still see them finishing below Cleveland and Orlando.

4. Atlanta Hawks: The addition of Jamal Crawford will help the Hawks on offense. Their defense is less than stellar, and they are a horrible team on the road, but they play in the East and have one of the more talented teams.

5. Washington Wizards: This is a team that won only 19 games last year, but the big three of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler will be back and rejuvenated under new head coach Flip Saunders, who knows how to win and has been one of the more successful coaches in the NBA. I see Washington being the team that improves the most from last year.

6. Toronto Raptors: Toronto will be back in the playoffs this year after only winning 33 games last year. They brought in Hedo Turkoglu, and drafted DeMar DeRozan who I think will be very good. Combine that with Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, and Jose Calderon, and you're looking at a Raptors team that could make some serious noise come playoff time.

7. Philadelphia 76ers: This is a Sixers team made the playoffs last year without Elton Brand, so assuming Brand is healthy, there is no reason why they shouldn't be back. Andre Igoudala is a great young player, and look for Thaddeus Young to have a breakout year.

8. Chicago Bulls: With Luol Deng back, and Derrick Rose entering his second year, the Bulls should be back in the playoffs. They lost a big weapon on offense when Ben Gordon signed with the Detroit Pistons over the summer. I see Chicago fighting it out and clinching the final playoff spot in the East.

The rest

9. Detroit Pistons

10. Miami Heat

11. Charlotte Bobcats

12. New Jersey Nets

13. Milwaukee Bucks

14. New York Knicks

15. Indiana Pacers

Western Conference Predictions to come later today.

Weekend Wrap

Let's start with the good news from the weekend, which is that Arizona State improved to 4-2 after a 24-17 victory over Washington last night. Sun Devil Quarterback Danny Sullivan threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Chris McGaha with five seconds left to win the game for the Sun Devils. ASU is now 2-1 in Pac-10 play, and will travel to Palo Alto next weekend to take on the Stanford Cardinal.

With his late heroics, Sullivan somewhat redeemed himself for his terrible play this season. It's funny that the same Sun Devil fans that were booing him two weeks ago against Oregon State are now acting like he's a hero. Obviously they've forgotten that Sully is the reason why ASU lost in Georgia, and that he is one of the main reasons why ASU lost to Oregon State. Call me crazy, but if ASU had a decent offense, they would be undefeated right now. Nonetheless Sullivan's confidence is high right now, which is good since the Sun Devils are entering the toughest part of their schedule. I just can't help but to think that the Sun Devils will have a letdown against Stanford. I hope I'm wrong, but until ASU can prove that they can follow up a big win with another win, I'll always be skeptical to pick them, therefore, I'm picking Stanford to beat ASU.

I was up in the press box for the game, and since I was with other members of the media, I got to meet Petros Papadakis, who was doing to TV commentary for FSN West. Papadakis, the co-host of the Petros & Money Show on Fox Sports Radio, is one of my favorite radio personalities and broadcasters. A lot of people dislike him because he's a little loud and obnoxious, but I think he's hilarious and I find him to be a great on-air talent. It was great being able to meet him in person, and I have to say he's a very down-to-earth guy considering he is one of the best in the business at what he does.

I also got to meet Michael Eaves, a reporter for Fox Sports West. He came and spoke to some students at the Cronkite School about the challenges of being a sports reporter. He's a very nice guy as well. I was able to get a picture with him which is up on my twitter page, along with some pictures from last night's ASU game.

Let's move to the bad news, which is the NLCS. The Los Angeles Dodgers were absolutely humiliated tonight, as they were destroyed 11-0 at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodger offense has been terrible in the last two games, as they have only managed to get eight runs, and score two runs. Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee dominated the Dodgers tonight, as he went eight innings, struck out 10, and only allowed three hits. I guess it really didn't matter that the Dodger pitching was terrible, because with the way Lee was pitching, there was no way the offense was going to put up runs.

I've never doubted Dodger manager Joe Torre up until tonight. I don't know why he decided to start Hiroki Kuroda instead of Randy Wolf or Chad Billingsley. Kuroda had not pitched in over three weeks, and it showed tonight, as he couldn't even get out of the 2nd inning. He allowed six runs on six hits in just 1 1/3 inning. This was the most important game of the series, yet Torre decided to pitch Kuroda in a hostile environment, I just don't get it.

At this point it's the Phillies series to lose. They are up 2-1, they still have two more games at home, and they can still send Cole Hamels, Pedro Martinez, and Cliff Lee to the mound again. It will be a miracle if the Dodgers come back and win this series. Game 4 is tomorrow in Philadelphia, with the first pitch scheduled for 5:07 AZ time.

Dodgers Fall In Game 1

Well that wasn't exactly the start I had hoped to see. The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS 8-6 in front of a sold-out crowd at Dodger Stadium. Two three-run homers for the Phillies is really what did the Dodgers in. The Dodgers gave a valiant effort, but in the end it was the Phillies who came away with the win, and in doing so gained homefield advantage in the series. The winner of Game 1 of the NLCS has advanced to the World Series 14 out of the last 17 times. If the Dodgers want to win the series, then it must be their pitching that wins it for them. The Dodger offense is not good enough to get into an offensive shootout with the Phillies, as proven tonight. The Dodgers left way too many men on base, and did not convert on golden opportunities. The Dodgers had six runs on 14 hits, whereas the Phillies had eight runs on eight hits.

Vicente Padilla will be on the mound for the Dodgers tomorrow, and the Phillies will counter with Pedro Martinez. Tomorrow is a must win game for the boys in blue, because there is absolutely no way they will come back from an 0-2 deficit heading back to Philly.

The ALCS starts tomorrow in the Bronx, as the New York Yankees take on the "LA" Angels of Anaheim. I'm pulling for the Yankees simply for the fact that if the Dodgers don't win the World Series, then I sure as hell don't want to see the Angels win it. I never have liked the Angels, and my disliking for them and their fans has only increased since their idiot owner Arte Moreno decided to put Los Angeles as part of their team name. Honestly, nobody outside of Orange County gives a horse crap about the Angels, so what's the point of trying to make it seem like they are LA's team? The Angels don't have half the tradition and name that the Dodgers do, and it's stupid that their fans think they are better than the Dodgers just because they have won a World Series this decade.

Some noteworthy college football games this weekend include #20 Oklahoma vs #3 Texas, #4 Virginia Tech vs #19 Georgia Tech, #22 South Carolina vs #2 Alabama, and #6 USC vs #25 Notre Dame.

NLCS Insight: Dodgers Improved From Last Go Around

The National League Championship Series gets underway today, as the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. These two teams met in the NLCS last year, which the Phillies won four games to one. The Dodgers won four of the seven meetings between the two during the regular season.

So what's changed in the last year? Well for one, the Dodgers are no longer dependent on Manny Ramirez like they were last year in the NLCS, in which he batted .533, hit two home runs, and drove in seven runs. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp have emerged as very productive hitters this season, as the two hit 57 home runs, and drove in 207 runs combined during the regular season. In addition, the Dodgers bench is much better than it was last year. Guys like Jim Thome, Mark Loretta, Orlando Hudson, Juan Pierre, and Brad Ausmus really give you everything that you need in a bench. They are experienced, and they are versatile, both of which are factors that gives any team a great chance to win in the playoffs. The Dodger offense was able to beat Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals, both of whom are favorites to win the NL Cy Young Award. The offense will have their work cut out for them again, as they will face the Phillies duo of Cole Hamels, last year's World Series MVP, and Cliff Lee. The fact is this Dodger offense has found ways to win all season long, and they are going to have to do so again in this series.

Another thing that has changed in favor of the Dodgers is their pitching. Unlike last year, the Dodgers have lefty pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Randy Wolf, both of whom were brilliant in the Divisional Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Kershaw had the third-best OPS against left-handed batters this year, which bodes well for the Dodgers since the Phillies have three left-handed batters who hit 30+ home runs this season in Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Raul Ibanez. Another pleasant surprise for the Dodgers pitching staff has been Vicente Padilla, who is slated to be the starter for Game 2. Padilla, who was let go in the middle of the season by the Texas Rangers, has done nothing but good things for the Dodgers. He went 4-0 in his seven starts during the regular season, and had an ERA of 3.20. Padilla was on the mound for Game 3 of the Divisional Series, in which he threw seven scoreless innings en route to a win. In the NLDS, the Dodgers pitching staff had a combined ERA of 2.00, and shut down a St. Louis Cardinals offense that was one of the best in the majors during the regular season.

The final thing that has changed for the Dodgers is their bullpen. They are more talented, and they are deeper than they were last year. The Dodger bullpen had the best ERA and WHIP in baseball this year, in addition to having the second-most wins. Jonathan Broxton is one of the best closers in the game, George Sherrill is a great lefty who is perfect for late innings, and Hong-Chih Kuo gives the Dodgers another lefty to match up with the Phillies left-handed bats.

The biggest factor that could work in LA's favor is the revenge factor. Last year the Dodgers were embarrassed by this Phillies team, and they haven't forgotten that at all. The Dodgers have a bit more on their side this year with a more experienced team, and homefield advantage. The problem is homefield advantage is a little overrated in baseball, so I don't see that being a deciding factor in this series. The fact is this Phillies team has one of the best offenses I have seen in a while, and it's hard to take down the defending champions, especially when they added former AL Cy Young Award winner in Cliff Lee to their pitching staff. I think it will be a lot closer than the 4-1 series last year, but I still see the same result, as the Philadelphia Phillies will win the series and move on to the Fall Classic.

Prediction- Phillies in six

Two More Weeks Until Life Becomes Relevant Again!

Arizona State plays host to the University of Washington this Saturday at 7:15 p.m. local time. ASU is 3-2 and coming off a 27-14 win against Washington State, while Washington is 3-3, and coming off a 36-33 win against Arizona. This is a very big game for both teams, as it will go a long way in determining whether or not both teams will make a bowl game. Washington's quarterback Jake Locker is the best in the Pac-10, and quite frankly I don't think ASU's offense is good enough to hang with a team that can put up 20+ points in a game like Washington can. If ASU wants to win, their defense is going to have to clamp down on Washington and hold them to two touchdowns or less. In the end I see Washington winning this one, and in doing so, ending ASU's hope of getting to a bowl game since they still have to play USC, Cal, Oregon, and Stanford.

The National League Championship Series begins this Thursday in Los Angeles, as the Dodgers take on the Philadelphia Phillies in a rematch of last year's NLCS, which the Phillies won 4-1. The American League Championship Series begins Friday night in the Bronx, as the New York Yankees take on the "Los Angeles" Angels of Anaheim. I'll have my preview of each series up by Thursday afternoon, but in short I hope to see a Dodgers-Yankees World Series matchup.

The World Champion Los Angeles Lakers begin their 2009-2010 regular season in exactly two weeks, as they will open up against the Los Angeles Clippers. I can't begin to describe how excited I am for this upcoming season. Let's put it this way, in two weeks life will become important again. The NBA is by far my favorite sport, and the Lakers are by far my favorite professional team. I'm expecting nothing less than another championship from the purple and gold this year, and I'm more than confident that they will repeat. There is no team in the NBA with the amount of talent or depth that the Lakers have, and when the Lakers play at their very best, there is no team that can contend with them.

I will be seeing U2 in concert one week from tonight at the University of Phoenix Stadium! I'm very excited for that concert, as U2 is one of my favorite bands of all-time.

Listen my weekly radio show "The Sports Lounge", it's on Tuesday nights from 7-8 p.m. Arizona time. Tune in online by clicking here, or you can check out our podcast by clicking here.

Catching Up On Lost Time

I apologize for my long break between posts. I've been very busy with school work and I'm also trying to come to grips with the fact that my school's football team is god awful. Arizona State is now 2-2, after losing to Georgia and Oregon State. Quarterback Danny Sullivan is one of the worst players I have ever seen in my life, and that's saying something considering I grew up a UCLA fan. Even though there have only been four games, the season is lost for the Sun Devils. I don't see them winning more than five games, considering they still have to play USC, Cal, Oregon, and a much improved Stanford team. But hey, only one more month until basketball season!

If you want full, in-depth analysis of ASU football and other sports news, then listen to my radio show "The Sports Lounge" every Tuesday night from 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time. You can tune in online to the Blaze website, or you can check out our podcast.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will face the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS starting tomorrow at Dodger Stadium. The boys in blue had many problems with the Cardinals during the regular season, and I have no reason to believe that things will change. The Cardinals pitching is better than the Dodgers, and pitching is really all that matters in the playoffs. When you combine that with the fact that the Dodgers offense has been dismal in the last week or so, it means bad news for the Blue Crew. I expect the Cards to win the series in four games.

Speaking of the Dodgers, I am fairly certain that I will be seeing them in historic Fenway Park next summer when they take on the Boston Red Sox. Last time I heard from my father, he said it was likely that we will make the trip out east.

The World Champion Los Angeles Lakers start their regular season in exactly three weeks! I can hardly wait to see my beloved team back in action. Early reports are that center Andrew Bynum will start the season by coming off the bench. Lamar Odom will get the nod in place of Bynum in the starting lineup. I will talk more about the Lakers as their season opener nears.

I will try to post more often from now on. Having a twitter definitely makes me think about blogging less, since I can update my thoughts right away, as opposed to writing in bulk like I am right now. For those of you that have a twitter and want to follow me, you can find me by clicking here.